Why did Georgian artistic activity flourish during independence from 1918 to 1921?

During the period of independence from 1918 to 1921, Georgian artistic activity flourished primarily due to the unique cultural environment created in Tbilisi. This era was marked by an explosion of poetry, prose, and anarchistic artistic and political "happenings" that were stimulated by the convergence of two distinct groups: the refugee Russian avant-garde and Georgian poets who were emboldened by their newfound national liberation.1

Despite the challenges of war and economic destitution, this mixture of intellectual and creative forces fostered a period of intense artistic output. The atmosphere in the capital allowed for a synthesis of diverse influences, as local writers—who had previously been inspired by European Decadence and Russian Symbolism alongside their own rich tradition of highlander folklore—engaged with the influx of avant-garde ideas. This brief window of sovereignty provided the necessary freedom for these artists to express their national identity and creative energy before the Soviet invasion in 1921 brought an end to this period of cultural expansion.12